1. Field of the Invention
The invention herein described and claimed relates generally to cargo containers and more particularly, to convertible cargo containers for use in various aircraft.
2. Prior Art
Since the earliest days of manned flight, cargo of one type or another has been transported in planes. From the early flights when the cargo was principally mail, to modern day jet aircraft and their tremendous payloads, the air cargo industry has been engaged in a constant effort to fly more cargo farther, faster and cheaper. Air cargo transporters attempt to maximize the load on each aircraft while at the same time keeping the weight of the cargo as low as possible, to speed up the loading and unloading process, and to reduce their investment in air cargo equipment. Also, the rigors of air travel require that such on-board equipment be safe.
For example, it is standard in the industry today that commercial cargo is first loaded into containers on the ground, and the containers are then loaded onto and unloaded from the plane. This saves time and is more secure in-flight. The mostused air cargo container is an aluminum monocoque structure, usually cubic or roughly cubic in shape. Because it is desirable to use as much of the available fuselage space of the plane as possible, these containers are typically designed so that their exterior configuration generally mates with the interior fuselage configuration of the plane. Because the different aircraft used in commercial air cargo transportation (the Boeing 747 and DC-10, for example) have different size and shape fuselages, the air cargo containers designed for use in them likewise have differing shapes.
Thus, for carriers with different aircraft, such as the Boeing 747 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, the prior art systems require these companies to purchase at least two different models of cargo containers, the M1 and the AQ7. Both prior art containers have the same general rectangular base configuration of approximately 96 inches by 125 inches. The M1 container, which is generally cube shaped, is the preferred container for the DC-10 aircraft. As shown on the accompanying Information Disclosure Statement, the M1 container has a uniform height of approximately 96 inches. However, for the 747 aircraft, the AQ7 container is preferred because its contoured shape and greater height better resemble the interior cargo cabin of this aircraft. As shown in the Information Disclosure Statement, the height of the AQ7 container varies, with a maximum height dimension of approximately 118 inches. If the M1 container is used on the 747, a large portion of available cargo space is not utilized and efficiency suffers. Furthermore, the AQ7 is not useable on the DC-10 aircraft. Thus, the carriers must purchase two different cargo containers, idling either the M1 or AQ7 containers for some time, and thereby increasing the cost of shipping by air.
Therefore, there exists a need for an improved cargo container whose shape and size can be changed for use on different aircraft and thereby maximize the use of the available cargo space, while minimizing the fleet of containers required. This preferred cargo container would not only be strong, durable and lightweight, but would also be more economical to use by being convertible for use on different aircraft. Furthermore, this container must still be easy to use.